


Fireflies

by FilmFreak94



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7307092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FilmFreak94/pseuds/FilmFreak94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two strangers in a strange land can find amazement and beauty in even the smallest things, and especially in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this picture by a friend o mine.   
> http://rebexorcist.tumblr.com/post/140469038523/filmfreak1994s-birthday-gift (I'm too lazy to properly hyperlink it or whatever right now, be happy)

“Ruby,” the blue Gem beckoned to her companion in a voice no louder than a whisper, “come see this.”

The red Gem approached her with care, taking notice of the intense stare she gave to the distance, no doubt putting her senses to work.

“What is it?” She asked, her hand curled into a fist, ready to don her gauntlet at the slightest provocation. The blue Gem took notice of this in turn, motioning her to lower her hand. Ruby complied, then closed the distance between her and her companion. She poked her head out from behind the blue Gem’s shoulder, eyes broadening at the sight before them.

“Oh wow…” Her voice was even lower than the other Gem’s. There were many things about this strange planet that had surprised the two of them in their relatively short time spent as fugitives within it. Every new locale they passed through, every exotic creature they witnessed in their natural habitat, even the stars of galaxies they had visited so many times before gained a new fascination to them. For all they had seen, and for all that they had been through in the past few weeks, Ruby was certain she had never seen something quite like this.

All throughout the little glen that stretched out before them were tiny little creatures, no bigger than the size of their gemstones, flying about every which way in the air. They had seen many creatures such as these before, and many of them had taken an annoying habit of biting her and her companion when least expected, but what made these stand out in particular was due to the fact that they were doing something they had never seen any creature on Earth do before; They were glowing.

“Sapphire, it’s beautiful.” Ruby was in a trance as she slowly set foot into the glen, watching as all the creatures began to scatter at her presence. They did not flee entirely, merely regrouped to some position well enough away from her intrusion, and continued their mindless fluttering without sparing another thought to her or the other Gem who entered behind her.

Sapphire looked at her awestruck friend, plenty awestruck herself at everything to do with her. It had not been so long ago when this seemingly ordinary Gem, a subordinate to the Diamonds and lowest class warrior that could be bought and sold a dime a dozen, shook her notion of reality to its very foundation, toppling everything she once thought to be true. Nothing had been the same since then. What was once a future set in stone was now multiple futures she had no chance of knowing which to be true. She could see herself in all of them, the good and the bad. Futures where she would be caught by her superiors, her gemstone crushed and forgotten like so many others she had known for a brief time. She could see the Resistance finding her and taking her as hostage, the traitor and the renegade only keeping her alive for information. She saw a future where she would encounter strange odyssey after odyssey, be ripped to shreds by wild animals and forced to spend valuable time recuperating in her gem, buried under the ever changing climate of the earth for eternity. Through all these futures and all the uncertainties adding a new weight to her anxiety, there was one constant to each of them. She was staring at it.

The simple warrior, an enormous grin on her face and sparkles in her eyes as she looked up at the flying illuminations, would never leave her side no matter what future she saw. The mindless drone who had offered her words of comfort when her worries became too taxing a burden to bear on her own, encouraging her to find the strength to carry on to some unknown future that filled her with dread the more she saw it. Around her it all seemed so easy. The fear was not as impossible to control, and her mind could focus where it should. Or perhaps, where it wanted to…

Ruby could stare at the light creatures forever if she could. They would have to get moving again soon, no telling how many Homeworld Gems would still be searching for them, but moments of respite such as this were too intoxicating to toss aside. She closed her eyes as she listened to their tiny wings buzz around her ears, feeling the refreshing chill of the night breeze kiss her skin. It was the most peaceful she had been in a long time. Although, even for the threat of annihilation at the hands of her own kind, she had not been entirely afraid. There had been some presence within her telling her that no matter what hardship she faced, no matter who or what came after her, she could handle it. That she was strong enough, clever enough even, to overcome any obstacle that sought her harm. A light inside her that burned brighter than any creature in the air right now. It was a comforting light, a beautiful one. And she was staring at it.

She had opened her eyes to see Sapphire standing a few feet in front of her, a small smile on her face that widened Ruby’s own. Her lovely teal hair still adorned with some flowers they had picked the other day (Ruby had kept only one, a specific one that Sapphire had chosen herself). Her hands were behind her back as she spoke to her softly.

“Hold out your hand.” Ruby laughed, involuntarily. Something about the blue Gem made her behavior sporadic.

“Why?” She asked.

“Come on,” Sapphire’s voice resembled something from a song as she tried to coax her, “just do it.” Ruby took the plunge, holding out her left, gem-embedded hand out for her.

“Now close your eyes.” She did not need to be convinced this time, deciding to play along with her companion’s little game. She wasn’t about to do anything that might displease her anytime soon.

“Well,” she asked after a few seconds, “can I open them?”

“Impatient.” Sapphire said with a chuckle. “All right, you can open them.” Ruby opened one eye slowly, savoring whatever surprise the blue Gem had in store for her. Both were open in a flash the moment she realized what it was.

“Oooooooh.” Her mouth was agape at the sight of the little light creature that was resting atop her gem, Sapphire hovering her own gem-bearing hand over it to keep it from flying away immediately. The creature seemed quite content to stay there for the moment, nonplussed at the strange creatures that had momentarily decided to ogle at it.

Sapphire kept a little smile on her lips as Ruby leaned in as close as she would dare, trying her best not to startle the beautiful thing. It showed no fear of either of them, even as a strange sensation began to take over them.

They did not notice it at first, but as the light grew more intense it became impossible to ignore. Their gems were glowing, matching their respective shades, so bright it almost blinded Ruby (it was hard to tell if it had the same effect on Sapphire). The both of them stood as statues, staring at each other as their eyes adjusted to the light. The world around them was lost in strange blurs and shapes as their focus was fixed on each other. Time, danger, and the future itself losing all meaning to both of them, even the creature flying away from their grasp did nothing to shatter their gaze.

For a moment, only a moment, their gemstones touched, and a new color was cast over the glen. A powerful shade that both of them had seen before. The both of them had felt it before as well. A feeling that they had been taught was inherently wrong by their superiors, a feeling that had made them fugitives to begin with.

It was the most beautiful and natural feeling either of them had ever experienced.

The moment was shattered when Ruby took her hand away. The glen returned to its natural colors in the dark, and the light creatures had all but fled at the potency of their touch.

“Well…” the Red Gem covered her gemstone with her other hand. “We should… probably get moving.” Sapphire held a sigh in her heart but agreed with her friend. They had wasted enough time as it was. She walked a little way ahead, intending to leave the glen and this moment behind while it would still be easy to forget. The sigh taking the form of a tear.

“Sapph…” She stopped, turning around to the other Gem, shocked that she had finally spoken to her so informally.

“Yes?” Ruby stuttered as she tried to force the words from out of her. Words she had been trying to find from the moment she had been accidentally pushed into her by her former comrades, when she first caught a glimpse of her wonderful face in that cave.

“Thank you.” She finally said, the words both saying not enough and all she could ever hope to utter.

Sapphire’s smile returned as she nodded her head, holding out her hand for her partner to take. After a moment’s hesitation, Ruby accepted it.


End file.
